Prepared to Care: Who Supports the 24/7 Role of Americas Full-service Hospitals?

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Presentation on theme: "Prepared to Care: Who Supports the 24/7 Role of Americas Full-service Hospitals?"— Presentation transcript:

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Prepared to Care: Who Supports the 24/7 Role of Americas Full-service Hospitals?

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The standby role of full-service is both unique and critical in the health care system. Standby Role: Provide access to care 24 hours a day 7 days a week (24/7) Care for all patients regardless of ability to pay Be ready to respond to disasters

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Americans rely heavily on the 24/7 access to care provided by hospital EDs… One third of hospital care begins in the emergency department. The majority of ED patients require immediate care. More than half of ED care occurs outside of normal business hours. Source: The Chartis Group, Prepared to Care: The 24/7 Role of Americas Full-service Hospitals, 2006

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Meeting common emergency needs requires a wide array of resources be maintained 24/7. Example: Resource Needs for a Common Condition Source: The Chartis Group, Prepared to Care: The 24/7 Role of Americas Full-service Hospitals, 2006

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Hospitals provide a medical safety net for the growing number of uninsured… Number of Uninsured, 2000 – 2004, In Millions Source: The Chartis Group, Prepared to Care: The 24/7 Role of Americas Full-service Hospitals, 2006

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Conclusion Americas communities depend heavily on the standby role of full-service hospitals and that need is growing. Despite its importance, this role is not explicitly funded. Hospitals fund the standby role through revenues from patient care. But levels of uncompensated care are rising and the Medicare and Medicaid shortfall is growing. Thus, hospitals increasingly depend on the private sector to subsidize this role.

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Conclusion (continued) The level of cost-shifting is increasing. Government under-funding is a serious issue for businesses that provide health insurance. Cost-shifting drives up the cost of private health insurance. Higher costs make it harder for employers to maintain coverage. Hospitals need the support of the business community in securing adequate funding for government programs.